Sunoco’s Mariner East 1 Transporting Propane and Ethane to Marcus Hook

Mariner East 1, which originates in Washington County, southwest of Pittsburgh, began shipping propane in December 2014, serving local and regional propane shippers as well as the international market. Ethane shipments commenced last month, and the first tanker carrying ethane to Europe departed from Marcus Hook March 9. Mariner East 2, an expansion of the Mariner East system with origin points in Ohio, West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania, will add additional off-take points for propane shippers in central and eastern Pennsylvania. It is expected to be completed in the first half of 2017 and will add an additional 275,000 bbld of capacity for NGLs, primarily propane and butane, from the Marcellus and Utica shales. Mariner East 2 will provide both interstate service and intrastate service within Pennsylvania and has the potential to expand to 450,000 bbld.

“The opening of the Mariner East pipeline represents a vital first step in redirecting Pennsylvania’s abundant natural gas resources to critical markets here at home,” said Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf. “Sunoco Logistics is making a $3-billion investment in Pennsylvania’s energy economy by keeping Marcellus Shale resources for manufacturing right here in Pennsylvania, rather than sending this business, revenue, and jobs to other states. The immediate effect will be the creation of 290 to 440 permanent jobs. The long-term impact from operation of this pipeline is an estimated $100 million to $150 million influx into Pennsylvania’s economy.”

Added U.S. Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.), “The completion of Mariner East 1 will help create jobs in manufacturing, engineering, and operations for many Pennsylvanians. I will continue to support efforts to strengthen our economy while helping to make Delaware County an important energy hub in the United States.” U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) said, “As an early supporter of this effort, I’m pleased that the Mariner East project has been completed. Connecting Delaware County to western Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale development will help grow our commonwealth’s economy and support good-paying jobs for many Pennsylvanians. It also is an important step toward America’s energy independence and expanding our role as a global energy exporter.”